‘Close to chaos,’ Stephane Giroux on the student protests and corruption in 2012

MONTREAL—Over the past year Quebec was rocked by student protests, controversial cases in the courts and a corruption scandal that engulfed the entire province’s political scene.

CTV Montreal court reporter Stephane Giroux looked at a year that put a heavy strain on the integrity of the province’s courts and legal system.

“All that the Charbonneau Commission can do is create as much damage as possible for the people responsible for this,” said Giroux, of the inquiry looking into corruption. “And they are doing it very well.”

With names dropped, political organizers in route and mayors resigning, many Quebecers including the viewers of CTV Montreal felt that corruption was the top story of 2012.

The commission will continue into 2013 and has proven that it will attempt to get to the bottom of the province’s corruption. One witness who appeared before the commission has already been arrested and charged with perjury, a clear sign from Justice Charbonneau that the inquiry will not tolerate any level of double-speak.

To hear Giroux speak about Quebec’s student conflict, watch the full interview above.